| A field corn hybrid experiment was conducted in 1997 on the South Farm at the University of Illinois. Ten corn hybrids were compared. The objective of this experiment was to analyze and simulate the growth responses of new corn hybrids to environmental factors. In addition to the routine above-ground observation, root growth and development, soil water content and yield analysis were conducted. The experimental results indicated that a late maturing hybrid performed better than an early maturing hybrid and that final yield was significantly positively correlated to leaf area index (LAI), but was not related to root number. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) of soil moisture, soil water contents at some depths had significant effects on root growth. Surplus water limited root development.;User-friendly software was developed to illustrate experiment results. The main aspects covered in the software included experiment design, data input, storage, display, and analysis. Variations in processes of plant growth such as plant height, leaf area, internode, root growth and soil water contents, as well as in corresponding weather data, were the topics in this software. All of these items could be displayed and analyzed either by data or graphic output. Simulation and correlation analysis were available for the analysis process. Because of its user-friendly properties, this software could be useful for the crop field experiments and some aspects of small farm management. |
